


The Sentinel by George Lucas (Unfinished WIP)

by Liviapenn



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Alternate Universe - Movie Fusion, Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 1999-05-10
Updated: 1999-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 03:19:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/793433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liviapenn/pseuds/Liviapenn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim Solo, captain of the Millenium Jaguar, meets Blair Sandwalker, a young Jedi Knight in training.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

## The Sentinel by George Lucas, Part One

by Livia

Author's disclaimer: Well, let's see. Star Wars belongs to George Lucas, and The Sentinel belongs to Pet Fly... Wait, what part of this is mine again? ^_^ 

unflattering Carolyn reference, blatant, shameless stealing from George Lucas, and an anticlimactic ending. All of a sudden I'm wondering why anyone would want to _read_ this... 

* * *

The Sentinel by George Lucas, Part One  
by Livia 

// A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...// 

The scarred and battered space pirate sat in the scummy cantina, and took a moment to study at the two men who had just slid into his booth. Twitching nervously on the left was a young man dressed in white, long hair pulled back in a ponytail. His wide blue eyes betrayed a certain innocence, and his hands, tapping nervously on the table, were strong and callused; a typical Cascadine farm-boy. If a desert planet could be said to have backwaters, this kid was definitely the product of one. 

The other new arrival, though, was harder for the smuggler to pin a label on. Taller even than the space pirate, the older, dark-skinned man carried himself with a subtle dignity. He was dressed in a long brown robe, like a desert hermit. But in seeking out the smuggler, he had moved quickly and carefully, and chosen his words well, like a man used to command. 

The smuggler observed all this in a moment, then held out his hand to the older of the two men. 

"Jim Solo." he said. "I'm captain of the Millennium Jaguar." 

The dark-skinned man nodded, and spoke. "I'm Simon Kenobi, and this is my friend Blair Sandwalker. We're looking for passage to the Australiaan system." 

"What's the cargo?" Jim asked. 

"Only passengers." said the older man, Simon. "Myself, the boy, two droids, and no questions asked." 

Jim nodded. "What is it? Some kind of local trouble?" 

"Let's just say we'd like to avoid any Imperial entanglements." said Simon. 

"Well, that's the trick, isn't it?" Jim said, and grinned slyly. "And it'll cost you, extra. Ten thousand in advance." 

"Ten thousand?" blurted the kid disbelievingly. "Come on, man-- we could almost buy our own ship for that!" 

Jim studied the farmboy coolly. "And who'd fly it, Chief? You?" 

"You bet I could-- I'm not such a bad pilot myself!" Sandwalker exclaimed. It was kind of cute actually, Jim thought. But he didn't have the time or the inclination right now to put the moves on the pretty farmboy-- Jim Solo was a man liked to avoid _all_ entanglements. Imperial or otherwise. 

"We don't have to sit here and listen--" Blair continued indignantly, then broke off as Simon put a hand on his arm. 

"We haven't that much with us. But we could pay you two thousand now, plus fifteen when we reach Australiaan." Simon told Jim. 

"Seventeen, huh!" Jim pondered that for a minute. "Okay. You guys have got yourself a ship. We'll leave as soon as you're ready. Docking bay three-oh-seven." 

Simon nodded. "Three-oh-seven it is." 

Jim raised his eyebrows as a group of Imperial stormtroopers entered the bar suddenly, bellied up to the bar and began asking the bartender questions. The bartender pointed to the booth where Jim sat, and the stormtroopers headed over. But by the time they got there, Blair and Simon had slipped away. Jim smiled innocently at the stormtroopers, who shot a disgusted glance at the bartender and left. 

"Seventeen thousand," Jim mused as the stromtroopers left the cantina. Those guys must really be desperate, he thought. This could really save my neck... Finishing his drink, Jim rose from his booth, and bumped straight into Cassie, a short, female alien with green, pebbly skin. 

Damn, thought Jim. 

"Going somewhere, Solo?" asked the alien hitwoman, poking her gun into Jim's side. 

"Yeah, Cassie." Jim replied, and Cassie twitched her blaster, urging Jim back into the booth. "As a matter of fact, I was just going to see your boss. Tell Carolyn I've got her money." Jim sat down, and Cassie slid into the booth across from him, pointing the gun leisurely over the table. 

"It's too late. You should have paid her when you had the chance." Cassie chortled. "Carolyn's put a price on your head so large, every bounty hunter in the galaxy will be looking for you. I'm lucky I found you first." 

"Yeah," Jim explained, "but this time I got the money." 

"If you give it to me," the little alien wheedled, "I might forget I found you." 

"I don't have it with me. Tell Carolyn--" 

Cassie shook her head. "Carolyn's through with you. She has no time for smugglers who drop their shipments at the first sign of an Imperial cruiser." 

Jim sighed, and shifted in his seat, dropping his hand casually under the table. "Even I get boarded sometimes," he growled to distract Cassie from his movements. "Do you think I had a choice?" 

"Tell that to Carolyn. She may only take your ship." 

"Over my dead body." Jim said calmly. 

"That's the idea." Cassie smiled. One green, scaly finger stroked the trigger of her blaster. "You know, Solo, I've been looking forward to killing you for a long time." 

"I bet you have." said Jim, and fired. A smoky, noisy blast startled the other patrons of the bar, who looked over to see Cassie's body, slumped over the table. 

Jim smirked and got up, flipping the man behind the bar some coins as he left. "Sorry about the mess." 

//At that very moment, somewhere off in space...// 

On the space station known as the Death Star, a handsome man wearing an all-black cloak, black boots and gloves, leaned over a meeting table surrounded by grey-clad officers. "The Princess' resistance to the mind probe is considerable." Lord Brackett said. "It will be some time before we can extract any information from her." 

A Imperial Officer of lower rank stepped up to the table. "The final check-out is complete, sirs. All systems are operational. What course shall we set?" 

A generously proportioned blonde in a grey uniform rose from her seat. "Lord Brackett?" 

The Dark Lord turned. "Yes, Governor Alex?" 

"Perhaps the princess would respond to an alternative form of persuasion." the blonde said coolly. 

"What do you mean?" Brackett asked. 

"I think it is time we demonstrate the full power of this station," said Alex, and turned to the lower-ranking officer. "Set your course for Princess Megan's home planet of Australiaan!" 

//Back on Cascadine...// 

Simon and Blair were approaching the dingy hole that was Docking Bay 307. 

"Oh, man. What a piece of junk." Blair exclaimed upon spotting the Millenium Jaguar. 

"Hey, the Jag's a _classic_." Jim said as he came down the boarding ramp. "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts. Now, I'm a little rushed, so if you'll hurry aboard we'll get out of here." 

"I just didn't figure you for the retro type," Blair muttered, glancing up one last time at the Millenium Jaguar before boarding. 

Outside in the street, eight Imperial stormtroopers rushed up to a darkly clad creature. "Which way did they go?" demanded their leader. The creature pointed silently to the door of the docking bay. "All right, men. Load your weapons!" 

The troopers readied their laser guns, and charged down the docking bay entrance. Hearing the commotion, Jim Solo looked up to see the Imperial stormtroopers rushing into the docking bay. Several of the troopers fired at Jim as he ducked into the spaceship after his passengers. Drawing his laser pistol, he popped off a couple of shots, forcing the stormtroopers to dive for safety. The Millenium Jaguar's engines whined as Jim hit the release button that quickly retracted the boarding ramp. 

Quickly, he rushed into the interior of the Millenium Jaguar, noting Simon and Blair already strapped in for takeoff. Good. Swiftly, he piloted the huge starship out of the hangar, and the smuggler's ship disappeared into the morning sky. 

"Computer-- angle the deflector shield while I make the calculations for the jump to light speed." Jim instructed the automatic pilot. He glanced up at the computer screen that was beeping frantically, showing two huge Imperial Star Destroyers in heavy pursuit. 

Out in the main bay of the Millenium Jaguar, he heard Blair and Simon unstrapping themselves. His two passengers quickly made their way into the cramped cockpit. "Stay sharp!" Jim warned them. "There are two Star Destroyers coming in; they're gonna try to cut us off." 

"Why don't you outrun them? Man, I thought you said this thing was fast!" Blair said worriedly. 

"Watch your mouth, Chief, or you're going to find yourself floating home." Jim said irritably. "We'll be safe enough once we make the jump to hyperspace." The ship shuddered suddenly as an explosion flashed outside the window. 

"How long before you can make the jump?" Simon asked. 

"It'll take a few moments to get the coordinates from the navi-computer." Jim informed him. The Millenium Jaguar shook and shuddered again, rocking violently as laser-fire hit it from behind. Jim put out a hand to steady Blair-- it was only practical, he told himself. Didn't want the kid falling over and hitting the controls accidentally. He withdrew his hand from Blair's shoulder only reluctantly, though. One thing you could say for farmboys; they had nice muscles. Very nice. 

Blair didn't seem to have noticed Jim's attention, his eyes fixed on the two rapily approaching Star Destroyers. "You're kidding, right? At the rate they're gaining..." 

"Traveling through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops, Chief!" Jim informed him. "Without precise calculations we could fly right through a star or bounce too close to a supernova and that'd end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?" The Millenium Jaguar was now constantly being battered with laserfire. Above Jim's head, a red warning light began to flash. 

"What's that?" Blair asked, pointing. 

"We're losing our deflector shield." Jim muttered. "I'm gonna make the jump to light speed--" The galaxy brightened and the Millenium Jaguar moved faster. Stars became streaks outside as the pirate ship made the jump to hyperspace. 

//Meanwhile, on the Death Star...// 

A freckled brunette, Admiral Samantha entered the quiet control room and bowed before Governor Alex, who stood before a huge wall screen displaying a small green planet. 

"We've entered the Australiaan system." Samantha reported. 

"Good," said Alex as Lord Brackett and two stormtroopers entered with Princess Megan. The Princess styled her hair in two buns, as was popular on Australiaan, and was clad in a long fuschia coat with pink fur at the collar and cuffs. 

"Governor Barnes," Megan spat. "I should have expected to find you holding Brackett's leash. I thought I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board." 

"Charming to the last," said the tall blonde coolly. "You don't know how hard I found it signing the order to terminate your life!" 

"I'm surprised you had the courage to do it yourself!" Megan said. 

Smiling icily, Governor Alex turned away, clasping her hands behind her back. "Princess Megan, before your execution I would like you to be my guest at a ceremony that will make this battle station operational. No star system will dare oppose the Emperor now." 

Megan shook her head defiantly. "The more you tighten your grip, Alex, the more star systems will slip through your fingers." 

"Not after we demonstrate the power of this station." The tall blonde Imperial officer stepped closer to the Princess, and smiled. "In a way, you have determined the choice of the planet that will be destroyed first. Since you are reluctant to provide us with the location of the Rebel base, I have chosen to test this station's destructive power... on your home planet of Australiaan." 

"No!" Megan gasped, struggling with the troopers that held her arms. "Australiaan is peaceful. We have no weapons. You can't possibly..." 

"You would prefer another target?" Alex asked sharply. "A military target? Then name the system! I tire of asking, Princess, so it'll be the last time. Where is the Rebel base?" 

Megan hung her head for a long moment. "Washingtionn," she spoke softly. "They're on Washingtionn." 

Alex smiled triumphantly. "You see Lord Brackett? She can be reasonable." She turned to the weapons officer. "Continue with the operation. You may fire when ready." 

"What?!" cried Megan. 

"You're far too trusting." Alex said sharply. "Washingtionn is too remote to make an effective demonstration. But don't worry. We will deal with your Rebel friends soon enough." 

"Commence primary ignition." Lord Brackett ordered. 

A hooded Imperial soldier reached up and pulled a lever. A bank of lights on a nearby panel and wall lit up. Megan watched, horrified as the viewscreen displayed the Death Star's ultimate weapons system. A huge beam of light emanated from the rim of a cone-shaped area, converging into a single laser beamed out toward Australiaan. 

Megan gaped as the small planet was blown into space dust. "Bugger!" 

//Back on the Millenium Jaguar...// 

"Well, you can forget your troubles with those Imperial slugs." Jim said smugly, crossing into the Millenium Jaguar's passenger area. "I told you I'd outrun 'em." He looked over at Simon, who was sitting down, staring off into space with a troubled look on his face. Then he glanced at Blair, who seemed intent on practicing with a lightsaber, of all things. 

"Don't everyone thank me at once..." Jim muttered. "Anyway, we should be at Australiaan about oh-two-hundred hours," he said, and leaned back to watch the farmboy practice. No reason he couldn't enjoy the view, after all. 

Blair stood in the middle of the Millenium Jaguar's small hold, clutching his green lightsaber intently. Simon watched him from the corner, studying his movements, then spoke. "Remember, Blair, a Jedi can feel the Force flowing through him. Relax and let it guide your actions." 

Suspended at eye level, about ten feet in front of Blair, a small, round chrome robot hovered, humming. The ball floated to one side of the youth, then the other. Suddenly it made a lightning-swift lunge and stopped within a few feet of Blair's face. Blair didn't move, and the ball backed off. It slowly moved behind the farmboy, then made another quick lunge, this time emitting a mild laser beam that struck Blair in the leg, causing him to tumble over. 

Jim laughed derisively. "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, Chief." 

Blair gazed at him questioningly. "You don't believe in the Force, do you Jim?" 

"I've flown from one side of this galaxy to the other, and I've seen a lot of strange stuff," Jim said firmly, "but I've never seen anything to make me believe there's some force controlling everything. There's no mystical energy field that controls _my_ destiny." he said, and Simon smiled quietly. "It's all a lot of tricks and nonsense." he concluded. 

"Try it again, Blair." Simon gestured. Getting to his feet, he placed a large helmet on Blair's head which covered his eyes. "This time, let go your conscious self and act on instinct." 

Blair laughed. "With the blast shield down, I can't even see. How am I supposed to fight?" 

"Your eyes can deceive you." Simon told him. "Don't trust them." 

Jim shook his head skeptically as Simon turned the seeker-robot on again. It circled Blair quickly, and the young man swung the lightsaber around blindly, missing the seeker completely. He yelped when it finally fired off a laserbolt, hitting Blair square on the seat of the pants. 

"Stretch out with your feelings." Simon urged him. 

Blair sighed, and as Jim watched, the young man's body relaxed slightly. The seeker made a second dive at Blair and, incredibly, Blair shifted just in time to deflect the bolt. The ball ceased fire, hovering in its original position. 

"You see?" Simon said. "You can do it." 

Jim crossed his arms. "I call it luck." 

"In my experience, there's no such thing as luck." Simon said gruffly. 

"Look, winning against remotes is one thing." Jim argued. "Against the living? That's something else." He looked away, noticing a small light flashing on the far side of the control panel. "Looks like we're coming up on Australiaan," he said, heading back to the cockpit. 

"You know, I did feel something." he heard Blair say quietly, behind him. "I... I could almost see the remote." 

"That's good." said Simon. "You've taken your first step into a larger world." 

(END PART ONE) 

* * *

CAST 

Blair Sandwalker -- Garett Maggart   
Jim Solo -- Richard Burgi Princess   
Megan Connora -- Anna Galvin   
Simon Kenobi -- Bruce A. Young  
Grand Moff Alex -- Jeri Ryan  
Lord Brackett -- Jeff Kaake   
Cassie -- Lisa Akey 

The copyright of Star Wars, that I have so _incredibly_ and blatantly violated here is: (Copyright 1977 by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation \-- A LUCASFILM LTD. PRODUCTION) 

* * *

End The Sentinel by George Lucas, Part One. 


	2. Chapter 2

// A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... // 

Lee Brackett, the evil Dark Lord of the Sith, paced slowly back and forth, his black cloak billowing behind him. His face was flushed with anger, and his eyes were dark and cruel. Governor Alex Barnes, his second-in-command, merely stood still, staring out into space through a large, panoramic window. 

In further contrast to Lord Brackett, Governor Alex's face betrayed no hint of emotion at all as she studied the remnants of the recently destroyed planet, Australiaan. 

Brackett turned quickly as a door slid open. The youthful Admiral Samantha, clad in grey uniform and black gloves, stepped into the room. "Yes?" 

Admiral Samantha swallowed nervously. "Our scout ships have reached Washingtionn." she reported. "They found the remains of a Rebel base, but they estimate that it has been deserted for some time. They are now conducting an extensive search of the surrounding systems." 

"She lied." Alex said. "She lied to us!" 

Lord Brackett spoke, his voice as dark as his expression. "I told you Princess Megan would never consciously betray the Rebellion." 

"Terminate her." Alex snarled. "Immediately." 

// Not far away... // 

"Stand by everybody, here we go. I'm cutting in the sublight engines." said Jim Solo, and the Millenium Jaguar came out of hyperspace with a receding whine that rattled Blair Sandwalker's teeth. The young man wondered briefly if hyperspace was always so jarring, or if it was just Jim Solo's piloting skills. He didn't ask, though, for two reasons. First, he didn't want to offend the older man; Solo had already shown hints of a nasty temper. Second, he didn't want to look like an ignorant farmboy in front of the obviously more experienced pilot. Blair didn't really know why he cared _what_ the abrupt and unfriendly man thought of him... but he kept his mouth just just the same. 

Outside the cockpit window, the stars that had been streaking past so quickly shimmered, then regained their usual stationary appearance. Suddenly the Millenium Jaguar began to shudder and shake violently. Asteroids raced toward them, battering the sides of the ship. 

"What the...?" Jim jabbed at the controls. "We've come out of hyperspace into a meteor shower. It's not on any of the charts... What the hell?" 

Blair looked over his shoulder, but didn't see anything on the monitors. "What's going on?" 

"Our position's correct, but... no Australiaan!" 

"What do you mean? A planet can't just disappear." Blair said incredulously. "Where is it?" 

"That's what I'm trying to tell you," said Jim. "It isn't there. It's been totally blown away." 

"What?" Blair stared outside in growing shock at the thousands of asteroids that continued to jar the ship, for the first time realizing what they were. "How?" 

Jim shrugged, concentrating on piloting his ship into a safe area of space, and Simon spoke up from behind Blair, startling them both. "Destroyed. By the Empire." 

Jim glanced back at him quickly. "Are you kidding? The entire starfleet couldn't destroy a whole _planet_. It'd take a thousand ships with more fire power than--" He was interrupted by a flashing alarm signal on the control panel, and glanced down at it. "There's another ship coming in." 

"Maybe they know what happened." Blair suggested. 

Simon looked out into space. "It's an Imperial fighter." 

Blair jerked back as a huge explosion burst outside the cockpit window, shaking the ship violently. A tiny, finned Imperial TIE fighter raced past the cockpit window. "It followed us!" 

"No. It's a short range fighter." observed Simon. 

"If they identify us, we're in big trouble, man." Blair said, grabbing the back of Jim's chair. 

"Not if I can jam its transmissions," Jim said, leaning intently over the controls. 

"Let it go," said Simon. "It's too far out of range." 

"Not for long." Jim shook his head, and the Millenium Jaguar gained steadily on the tiny fighter. 

"A fighter that size couldn't get this deep into space on its own." Simon said. 

In the distance, one speck of light became brighter and brighter, until it was obvious that the small TIE ship was heading for it. 

Jim narrowed his eyes. "Well, he ain't going to be around long enough to tell anyone about _us_." 

As they pursued the TIE fighter, the speck of light grew, into a small, white sphere. "Look," Blair pointed. "He's headed for that small moon." 

"I think I can get him before--" Jim muttered. Suddenly, all three men gaped as they stared at the small moon. Angular lines and geometric curves crossed its surface, revealing it to be a construction of unnatural origin. 

"That's no moon! It's a space station." Simon said. 

"No way!" Jim objected. "It's too big." 

"I've got a bad feeling about this..." Blair muttered. 

"Yeah," said Jim, still staring out at the station, "yeah, I think you're right< Chief. Putting engines on full reverse--" The pirateship rocked suddenly, and the TIE fighter accelerated away. 

Blair leaned forward ugently. "Why are we still moving towards it?" 

"We're caught in a tractor beam!" Jim said, frustrated. "It's pulling us in!" 

"What!?" Blair yelped. "There's gotta be something you can do!" 

"There's _nothing_ I can do about it, Sandwalker." Jim growled. "I'm going to have to shut down. But they're not going to get me without a fight!" 

Simon reached over, putting a hand on his shoulder, and Jim looked up, startled. "You can't win." said the older man. "But there are alternatives to fighting." 

// Inside the Death Star... // 

The Millenium Jaguar was towed closer and closer to the awesome space station. Finally the battered pirate starship came to rest in a huge hangar. Thirty stormtroopers were at attention not far away, some ready to board the Millenium Jaguar, while other troopers stood with weapons ready to fire. 

Inside, Jim took a slow, quiet breath. He and Sandwalker were hidden under the deckplates in the Millenium Jaguar's custom-built smuggling compartments. Simon had insisted on staying with the two droids, in another compartment towards the front of the ship. Though for what reason, Jim couldn't imagine. Certainly if he had to be stuck in cramped quarters, in the dark, he'd rather be with the farmboy than those annoying droids. Especially in their current position. 

It _was_ rather tempting. Jim was half-crouching, one leg bent, with Sandwalker's knees tucked inside his. Both were crouched slightly to avoid banging their heads, and the farmboy's face, steeled with determination, was close enough for Jim to hear each shallow, nervous breath. Footsteps clomped overhead suddenly, startlingly loud, and Sandwalker flinched, hands curled into fists. 

Caught suddenly in the grip of an impulse he could do little to explain and less to deny, Jim lifted a hand and slid it along Sandwalker's cheek, enjoying the prickly texture of unshaven skin. The rasp of stubble was loud in the unnatural quiet, and Sandwalker's eyes, already wide in the near-dark, went even wider. Bracing his elbow on the side of the compartment, Jim leaned forward, laying a quick, chaste kiss on the farmboy's slightly gaping mouth. 

"For luck," he said softly, and Sandwalker stared for a moment before sucking in a startled breath, then glancing away. Jim grinned. 

// Outside... // 

Dark Lord Brackett and Admiral Samantha entered the hangar as an officer and several heavily armed troops exit the spacecraft. The officer approached Brackett, saluted, and made his report. "There's no one on board, sir. According to the log, the crew abandoned ship right after takeoff." 

"A decoy," Sam bared her teeth in a grimace of disgust. 

Brackett nodded calmly. "Send a scanning crew on board. I want every part of this ship checked." 

"Yes, sir." said the officer, saluted again, and turned away. 

Sam was about stalk away angrily, but as she turned to go, she caught a glimpse of a strange expression on Dark Lord Brackett's face. She paused, studying him. 

"I sense something," Bracket murmured. "A presence I haven't felt since..." He broke off, turned quickly and exited the hangar. Sam paused for a moment, gazing curiously after him. 

// In the Millenium Jaguar... // 

Finding nothing, the stormtroopers finally gave up and left. When he felt it was safe, Jim popped the lid off his compartment, and climbed out, followed by Sandwalker. Simon Kenobi stuck his head out of a third locker. 

"Lucky you had these smuggling compartments," said Blair, hoisting himself out. 

Jim shook his head. "I never thought I'd be smuggling myself in them. This is _ridiculous_. Even if I could take off, I'd never get past the tractor beam." 

Simon nodded. "Leave that to me." 

"Damn fool-- I knew that you were going to say that." Jim muttered. 

"Who's the more foolish," Simon asked, "the fool or the fool who follows him?" 

// Outside the Comm Room... // 

The three men skulked towards the comm room, trailed by the two droids. The door slid open, with a whoosh, revealing a grey-suited gantry officer. "Hey--" 

"Oh no you don't!" Stepping forward, Jim caught him with a powerful right to the jaw, dropping him with one blow. His aide immediately reached for his pistol, but was blasted by Blair, who had recently acquired the armor of an Imperial stormtrooper, pulling it on over his white desert apparel. Following Jim and Blair, Simon and the droids entered the room quickly. 

"What with all the noise," Blair grumbled, "it's a wonder the whole station doesn't know we're here." 

"Bring 'em on!" Jim shot back. "I prefer a straight fight to all this sneaking around." 

"We found the computer outlet, sir." Threepio reported. 

"Plug in." Simon told him, then glanced at Jim and Blair. "He should be able to access the entire Imperial computer network from here." 

Artoo punched his claw arm into the computer socket and the network came to life, feeding information to the little robot. After a few moments, he beeped something. "He says he's found the main computer of the tractor beam." Threepio translated. "It is coupled to the main reactor in seven locations. A power loss at one of the terminals should allow the ship to leave." 

"I don't think you boys can help." Simon said, studying the data on the monitor readout. "I have to do this alone." 

Jim held up his hands. "Whatever you say. I've done more that I bargained for on this trip already." 

Blair spoke up. "I want to go with you." 

"Be patient, Blair," said Simon, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Stay and watch over the droids. They must be delivered, or other star systems will suffer the same fate as Australiaan. Your destiny lies along a different path than mine-- but the Force will be with you always." 

Adjusting the lightsaber on his belt, Simon slipped silently out of the command office. Jim stared after him. "Where'd you dig up that old fossil, anyway?" 

Blair shot him a reproving glance. "Simon Kenobi is a great man." 

"Yeah. Great at getting us into trouble." Jim muttered. 

"Hey, man, I didn't hear you giving out any ideas." 

"Well, _anything_ would be better than just hanging around waiting," Jim complained. 

Suddenly, Artoo began to whistle and beep loudly. Blair went over to him. "What is it? Threepio, what's he saying?" 

"I'm afraid I'm not quite sure, sir." said Threepio. "He says 'I found her,' and keeps repeating, 'She's here.'" 

"Who?" Blair asked. "Who's here?" 

Artoo whistled a frantic reply. 

"Princess Megan Connora." Threepio responded. 

Blair gaped. "The princess? She's here?" 

"Princess?" Jim looked at Threepio, then Blair. "What's going on?" 

"Level five. Detention block A-twenty-three. I'm afraid she's scheduled to be terminated." Threepio said regretfully. 

"Oh, no!" Blair groaned. "We gotta do something!" 

"Now wait just a minute, Chief," Jim objected, "Simon wanted us to wait here, remember?" 

"But he didn't know she was here." Blair said. "All right. We have to find a way down into the detention block--" 

Jim shook his head. "I don't think so, Sandwalker! I'm not going anywhere." 

"Jim, come on, man, they're going to execute her." Blair said urgently. "Look, a few minutes ago you said you didn't want to just wait here. Now all you want to do is stay?" 

"Marching into the detention area is not what I had in mind!" Jim argued. 

"But they're going to _kill_ her!" 

Jim shrugged, and looked away. "Better her than me." 

Blair stared at him intently, then spoke. "Look," he said, voice low. "Help me with this, and--" 

"And _what_?" Jim asked sarcastically, crossing his arms. A moment startled, he flung his arms to either side for balance-- Sandwalker had curled a hand in his belt and tugged him forward roughly, then made up the rest of the distance between them, pressing his body against the smuggler's. Before Jim knew what was happening, Sandwalker's hand had abandoned his belt slipped down just a few inches, stroking the crotch of his tight black pants. 

Simultaneously, the farmboy reached up and slid a hand between Jim's collar and his neck. Strong fingers kneaded the muscles there, a firm counterpoint to the light, short strokes Sandwalker was teasing him with below the waist. Smiling wickedly, Sandwalker turned his face up, lips parted for a kiss, and Jim dove into his mouth like a leaf falling from a tree-- spiralling down dizzyingly-- 

Until Sandwalker pulled away, gasping for breath, but with a triumphant look on his flushed features. 

"You help me with this," he said breathlessly, "and we'll see where things go." 

"Oh, my," said the tall gold protocol droid. "I--" Jim turned and glared at it, and it shut up. 

"Why, you little--" Jim turned his furious gaze back to Sandwalker, then stopped. Honestly, he didn't know whether to be grieviously insulted, or... intrigued. Quite obviously he'd been led astray by first impressions; those damned big blue eyes, he growled inwardly, clenching his jaw. For the first time, the smuggler thought seriously of the farmboy, naked and wanton in Jim's bunk, back on the Millenium Jaguar-- and the thoughts shocked him where he stood, stunning him with their urgency, their irresistibility. But did Sandwalker really believe Jim would take him up on an offer like that? 

"I may be a mercenary," he growled suddenly, "but I've never needed to _pay_ for it-- and damned if I'm starting with _you_." 

"That's right, you _are_ a mercenary," Blair realized, eyes wide-- missing Jim's point entirely. "Look, man, the Princess is rich, and I mean _rich_ , powerful-- think about it, she probably stands to inherit most of Australiaan's offworld holdings!" he gestured emphatically, and Jim found himself listening despite his best intentions. "If you were to rescue her," Sandwalker continued persuasively, "the reward would be... well, more than you can imagine." 

"I don't know," Jim said crankily, visions of the tanned farmboy still shimmying in his head. "I can imagine quite a bit." 

"You'll get it!" Sandwalker promised him. 

Damn right, I will, Jim vowed silently, and I won't have to trade a damn thing. "Well, I better!" 

"You _will_." Sandwalker assured him, patting his shoulder. 

"All right... But you'd better be right about this." Jim warned him. "What's your plan?" 

"Uh..." The farmboy looked around the small room. "Threepio, hand me those binders there will you?" Blair moved toward Jim, holding out a pair of electronic cuffs. "Okay, now I'm going to put these on you." he said, and stopped as Jim's eyes narrowed. "Okay, uh, you put these on." Blair sheepishly handed the binders to Jim. 

Jim sighed, but took them. "All right... I think I know what you have in mind." 

// Later... // 

Blair put his stormtrooper helmet back on and tried to look inconspicuous as he and Jim waited for a vacuum elevator to arrive. Troops, bureaucrats, and robots bustled about, ignoring them completely. Finally a small elevator arrived, and Jim and Blair got on. The door to the pod-like vehicle slid closed and the elevator car took off through a vacuum tube, soon reaching its destination. Blair and Jim stepped forward to exit the elevator. Jim's eyes narrowed as he spotted guards and laser gates all over the room. 

"This is not going to work." he said under his breath. 

"Why didn't you say so before?" Blair hissed back. 

"I did say so before!" 

They both shut up as a tall, grim-looking officer approached. "Where are you headed?" 

"Prisoner transfer from Block one-one-three-eight." Blair lied glibly. 

"I wasn't notified. I'll have to clear it." The officer went back to his console and began to punch in the information. There were only three other troopers in the area, and then Jim unfastened one of the electronic cuffs. Shrugging to Blair, he suddenly threw up his hands, grabbing Blair's laser rifle. 

"Look out! He's loose!" Blair yelled, pulling out his laser pistol and blasting away. His barrage of laserfire missed Jim, but managed to hit most of the camera eyes, laser gate controls, and the Imperial guards. Taking care of whatever targets Blair missed, Jim rushed to the comlink system, which was screeching questions about what is going on. 

"We've got to find out which cell this princess of yours is in," he said, quickly checking the computer readout. "Here-- cell twenty-one-eight-seven. You go get her. I'll hold them here." 

Nodding, Blair raced down one of the cell corridors. Jim coughed, and spoke into the buzzing comlink. "Everything is under control. Situation normal." 

"What happened?" barked a voice over the intercom intercom. 

"Uh, had a slight weapons malfunction." Jim said nervously. "But, uh, everything's perfectly all right now. We're fine. We're all fine here, now, thank you..." He paused. "How are you?" 

"We're sending a squad up." 

"Uh, uh, negative." Jim backpedaled. "We had a reactor leak here now. Give us a few minutes to lock it down. Large leak... very dangerous." 

"Who is this?" buzzed the intercom. "What's your operating number?" 

Hoisting the laser rifle, Jim blasted the comlink. "Stupid conversation anyway." he muttered, then shouted down the hall. "Sandwalker! We're gonna have company!" 

// In the Cell Area... // 

Blair didn't hear Jim, quickly running down the row of cells. When he found the right one, he blasted the door away with his laser pistol. When the smoke clears, Blair stared in awe at the stunning Princess and senator, Megan Connora. She had apparently been sleeping, and was now sitting up, her long pink coat slipping away from long, shapely legs. 

"Aren't you a little short to be a stormtrooper?" 

"What... oh." Blair shook off his befuddlement and removed his helmet of his uniform. "I'm Blair Sandwalker. I'm here to rescue you." 

Megan blinked. "Sorry, you're _who_?" 

"I'm here to rescue you." Blair said urgently. "I've got your R2 unit. I'm here with Simon Kenobi." 

Megan sat up straight. "Simon Kenobi is here! Where?" 

Blair stretched out a hand. "Come with me!" 

// In Lord Brackett's conference room... // 

Governor Alex sat at the far end of the conference table, her eyes wide as she stared at Lord Brackett. "Simon Kenobi! Here? What makes you think so?" 

"A tremor in the Force." Brackett said distantly. "The last time I felt it was in the presence of my old master." 

"Surely he must be dead by now." Alex said dismissively. "The Jedi are extinct. Their fire has gone out of the universe. You, my friend, are all that's left of their ancient religion." 

There was a quiet buzz on the comlink, and Alex answered it. "Yes?" 

"Governor Alex, we have an emergency alert in detention block A-twenty-three." 

"The princess." Alex growled. "Put all sections on alert!" 

"Simon is here." Brackett warned her. "And the Force is with him." 

Alex stood. "If you're right, he must not be allowed to escape." 

Brackett shook his head. "Escape is not his plan. I will face him... alone." 

Hand on his lightsaber, the Dark Lord pulled his black cape tightly around his shoulders, and stalked out of the room. 


	3. Chapter 3

// In the detention area, aboard the Death Star... // 

The sound of boots against metal deckplates boomed, coming ever closer. Jim Solo cursed under his breath and hurried down the hall. Stopping just inside the doorway, he fired his blaster into the door control unit behind him, effectively jamming it. It wouldn't stop the storm troopers, but it might buy some time. 

Quickly, Jim headed for the cellblock and Sandwalker. Behind him, he could hear a series of explosions as the Imperial troops began to blast their way through. Turning, Jim fired at them through the smoke and flame, then ran down the hallway, bumping almost immediately into Blair Sandwalker and the Australiaan princess, a tall, built brunette. 

"Troopers behind me. Can't get out that way." he reported. 

"Looks like you managed to cut off our only escape route." the Princess observed, a hint of disdain in her lavender-blue eyes. 

Jim stared incredulously. So he'd blown off Sandwalker's offer of gratitude-- that didn't mean he didn't expect at least a little appreciation from the object of their rescue. "Maybe you'd like it back in your cell, Your Highness." 

The princess narrowed her eyes to glare at him, but had no time for a reply before the stormtroopers reached the end of the corridor. Jim laid down fire to shield the small group as they ducked behind structural supports for cover. Taking a small comlink transmitter from his belt, Sandwalker attempted to contact his droid. "See-Threepio! We've been cut off! Are there any other ways out of the cell bay?" 

"All systems have been alerted to your presence, sir." said See-Threepio over the comlink. "The main entrance seems to be the only way in or out; all other information on your level is restricted." 

The laserfire was very intense, and smoke filled the narrow cell corridor. Blair looked up at Jim. "There isn't any other way out." 

"Well, I can't hold them off forever!" Jim snapped, firing off a few more shots. Sparks flew as he ducked one close shot. 

"What a rescue!" Megan shook her head. "When you boyos came in, didn't you have a plan for getting out?" 

Jim grimaced, and pointed at Blair. "He's the brains, sweetheart." 

With a sigh, Megan grabbed Blair's gun out of his hands, and fired it at a small grate next to Jim, blowing a hole in the wall large enough to crawl through. 

"What the hell are you doing?" Jim shouted, startled. 

"Somebody has to save our skins." she answered. "Into the chute, big guy." The princess climbed through the narrow opening as Jim looked on in amazement. 

"Nice girl!" he muttered to himself. "Either I'm going to strangle her or I'm beginning to like her." Sandwalker gave him a worried look, and Jim gave him a shove towards the grate. "C'mon, Sandwalker, get in there!" 

Ducking laser fire, Blair jumped into the darkness. Jim fired off a couple of quick blasts, creating a smokey cover, then slid into the chute himself. Crawling quickly through a maze of vent systems, the group exited into a dusty, unused hallway. 

"Now listen, mates." Megan ordered as Jim and Blair began removing their cumbersome stormtrooper outfits. "I don't know who you are or where you came from, but from now on, you do as I tell you. Right?" 

Jim strapped on his blaster belt and rounded on Megan. "Look, Your Worshipfulness, let's get one thing straight, here. I take orders from one person!" he said, jabbing a thumb at his own chest. "Me." 

"It's a wonder you're still alive." the princess retorted, and stalked away. 

Jim grimaced in Blair's direction, and muttered "No reward is worth this." 

Blair looked as though he were about to protest, then shut his mouth. The two men followed Megan as she moved down the deserted corridor. Quite soon, they reached a hallway with a bay window overlooking the the hangar, where the Millenium Jaguar sat. 

"There she is," said Jim, surveying the Imperial stormtroopers as they made their rounds. 

"You came here in that thing?" said Megan. "Must be braver than I thought." 

Jim gave her a dirty look, then redirected his attention to the stormtroopers milling about the ship. Meanwhile, Blair took out his pocket comlink. "See-Threepio, do you copy?" 

Threepio's voice responded quickly. "Yes, we're in the main hangar across from the ship." 

"We're right above you, then. Stand by." Blair closed the comlink, then looked over at Jim. "Is the ship okay?" 

Jim nodded. "Seems all right, if we can get to it. Just hope the old man got the tractor beam out of commission." 

// Outside the main docking bay... // 

Moving swiftly, Simon Kenobi headed through the tunnel leading to the hangar where the Millenium Jaguar waited. Just before he reached the hangar, the Dark Lord of the Sith Brackett stepped into view, barely ten feet away. 

With a slight smile, Brackett drew his lightsaber from his belt, gripping it in black-gloved hands. The laser blade glowed red in the dimness of the tunnel. "I've been waiting for you, Simon." 

Silently, Simon also ignited his lightsaber. Pale green light played across his dark, emotionless face. He stepped slowly forward, moving with ease into a classical offensive position. 

Brackett immediately took a defensive stance. "When I left you, I was but the student. Now I am the master." 

"Only a master of evil, Lee." Simon replied. The two warriors stood perfectly still for a few moments, sizing each other up. At the right moment, Simon made a sudden lunge at Brackett, but was checked by a lightning movement of the Sith warrior. He retaliated with a masterful stroke, blocked by the old Jedi. 

Moving around the Dark Lord, Simon began backing into the massive starship hangar. Another elegant parry and another forceful thrust sliced through the air, and the two combatants stood motionless for a few moments. Their lightsabers locked together in midair, creating a low buzzing sound. 

"Your powers are weak, old man." Brackett purred. 

Simon shook his head. "You can't win, Lee. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine." 

Brackett grimaced and pulled back, and the lightsabers continued to dance as Brackett and Simon continued their powerful duel. Sparks flew at each impact of the two lightsabers, and the gathered stormtroopers looked on in interest. 

Suddenly, from the hallway above, Blair spotted the battle. 

"Jim, look!" 

Jim and Megan both looked to see Simon and Brackett, emerging from the corridor on the far side of the docking bay. Tensely, the small group watched the duel, and Jim noticed when the troops decided to move, rushing toward the battling knights. "Now's our chance!" He tagged Blair's shoulder. "Go!" 

Quickly, Blair, Megan and Jim started for the Millennium Jaguar, followed by the two droids. Jim brought up the rear, keeping one eye on the fight. 

They reached the ramp, and Megan scrambled up into the ship's interior. Blair paused to let the droids go first. Jim stared across the bay, watching Simon's face as the stormtroopers approached the duelists. The old man seemed unnaturally calm and collected, even as he realized he was trapped-- and both Blair and Jim watched Brackett take advantage of the Jedi Knight's momentary distraction, bringing his mighty lightsaber down for the killing blow. 

Moving faster than Jim's eyes could track, Simon deflected the blow. The Jedi Knight looked over his shoulder at Blair, lifted his sword from Brackett's, then stood, watching his opponent with a serene look on his face. 

Snarling, Brackett brought his lightsaber down, cutting Simon seemingly in half. 

The droids were up the ramp now. Blair saw Simon fall, and clutched one of the supports as the blood drained from his face. " _No_!" 

Jim watched open-mouthed; it had all happened so fast. The old man's cloak fluttered, settling to the floor in two parts, but Simon wasn't in it. Brackett poked at the empty cloak, seemingly puzzled. 

Alerted by Blair's cry, the stormtroopers turned towards the Millenium Falcon once again. Transfixed by anger, Blair returned their fire, and Jim joined in. "Sandwalker, let's go!" Firing whenever he could, he ducked up the ramp and tugged at Blair's arm. "Come on, we gotta get out of here!" 

"No!" Blair shouted back. 

"Hurry!" Megan cried. 

"Sandwalker, _now_!" Jim shouted. "It's too late!" 

With a snarl, Blair fired his pistol at the door control panel, and it exploded. Slowly, the door began to slide closed, shutting Brackett and the other troops out of the docking bay. Finally, Blair turned, and raced onto the ship. 

Jim was already settled in the pilot's seat, at the controls. As the ship begins to move, laser bolts bounced off the outside of the ship with a dull thud. Crossing his fingers, Jim punched in a course. "I hope the old man shut that tractor beam down," he said quietly, "or this is going to be a real short trip." 

He didn't know whether or not to be surprised when, without restraint, the Millennium Jaguar powered away from the Death Star docking bay. Beside him, Megan slid uninvited into the co-pilots' seat. Jim glanced over at her, annoyed. 

"We've got to get out of here. Make a hyperspace jump!" she ordered. 

"Where am I supposed to-- Damn!" Jim cursed as a TIE fighter moved up over the pirateship, firing more laser blasts at it. "Sandwalker!" he turned, shouting over his shoulder, "Get your ass to a laser port, now!" He heard Blair scramble to obey, and Megan stood. 

"You better get to one, too," she suggested. 

Clenching his jaw, Jim got out of the pilot's seat, allowing Megan to take his place. He watched over her shoulder for a moment, watching her nimble fingers work swiftly over the controls, swinging the Millenium Jaguar about in complex evasive maneuvers. He grunted in approval, then hurried to a laser-port. 

From the small seat, he could manually aim and fire the Millenium Jaguar's defensive cannons. An Imperial fighter crossed into his field of vision, and Jim swiveled in his chair, following it with blasts from his laser. In a tiny corner of his screen, he could see a small readout of Blair's position. As a second fighter crossed the younger man's port, he fired at the approaching enemy ship. The TIE fighter burst into a spectacular explosion, and Jim grinned as Blair's screen gave a readout of the hit. 

The remaining ships loomed in, firing on the Jaguar. Jim swiveled behind his cannon, his aim describing the arc of the TIE fighter. The fighter came too close for comfort, firing its destructive blasts. But a well-aimed shot from Jim's laser cannon hit the attacker dead-on. It exploded in a small atomic shower of burning fragments. 

Jim laughed, and hopped quickly out of the laser port as the pirate-ship zoomed away. The Princess might be a damn good pilot, but Jim had never felt comfortable letting anyone else handle the Jaguar for long. 

"Not a bad bit of rescuing, huh?" he said as he reached the cockpit, grinning as he motioned for Megan to vacate his chair. "You know, sometimes I even amaze myself." 

"That doesn't sound too hard," Megan observed, standing. Jim looked over her shoulder; she'd programmed in a circuitous route to New Melbourne. Jim had overheard in the cantina that there was a suspected Rebel encampment in that system. Going there was fine with him-- as long as he got paid when they arrived. 

"Besides, they let us go." the Princess continued. "It's the only explanation for the ease of our escape." 

"Easy?" Jim sputtered, startled out of his contemplative state. He flung his arm out, gesturing at the Death Star, receding in the distance. "You call that _easy_?" 

"Obviously. They're tracking us!" Megan informed him. 

Jim shook his head. "Not this ship, sister." 

Megan shook her head, unwilling to continue the argument. "At least the information in Artoo is still intact." 

"What's so important, anyway?" Jim asked, following her gaze to the little droid. "What's he carrying?" 

"The technical readouts of that battle station." Megan replied. She sighed, and then looked up as Blair's footsteps approached the cockpit. "I can only hope that when the data is analyzed, a weakness will be found. This war isn't over yet." 

"Maybe not for you, but it is for me!" Jim said, leaning back against the wall. He did not turn his head or otherwise acknowledge Sandwalker as he arrived. It took tremendous effort, but he kept his gaze locked on Megan. 

"I'm not in this for your revolution, and I'm not in it for you, Princess. I'm in it for the money." Jim explained, his tone condescending. "I expect to be well paid." 

"You needn't worry about your reward." said the princess coldly. "If money is all that you love, then that's what you'll receive!" Gathering her pink coat around her, she seemed about to stalk out of the cockpit, then turned back for a moment, looking Blair up and down. "Your friend is quite the mercenary." she said coolly. "I wonder if he really cares about anything-- or anyone." 

That's right-- you tell him, sister, thought Jim. He smiled tightly, retaking his seat. 

"I care," said Blair quietly, staring after Megan as she walked away. 

The smile slipped from Jim's face, and he glanced up over his shoulder. Damn it, what was that supposed to mean? Then again, it was obvious enough, he thought as he studied the kid's moony-eyed expression. In the eyes of a naive farmboy like Sandwalker, how could a battered smuggler compare to a fiery beauty like the Princess? 

Jim seethed inwardly with sudden jealousy as the younger man settled down awkwardly in the co-pilot seat, next to him. But it wasn't fair to get angry. He'd known all along that Sandwalker didn't really have feelings for him, didn't really want him. He'd only kissed Jim on the Death Star to get him to rescue the princess in the first place. Well, who cared what Sandwalker did, anyway? He was just a farm kid. Just another pretty face. 

Sandwalker glanced across at him tentatively. "So, uh... what do you think of her?" 

Jim bit the inside of his cheek to keep from saying something he might regret. After all, what was there to say? Megan was beautiful. Classy. Rich. A hell of a lot more attractive than an aging pirate with a price on his head. And probably better for Sandwalker in the long run. Not that he _cared_ , of course... because he didn't. Jim told himself that firmly, and shrugged. "I dunno... What's with her _coat_?" 

"Yeah," Sandwalker snickered, "no kidding, man. What planet has animals with fur that color?" 

An evil thought occurred to Jim, and he snuck a covert look at Sandwalker. "Still, I dunno, Chief. She's got spirit; I like that." Sandwalker's eyes went wide, and Jim twisted the knife. "And the way she was snapping at me-- you know what that means." 

"What?" Sandwalker said, glancing at him, startled. 

"Ah, you know. Hell, I've seen it a hundred times," Jim said reflectively. "You get a real high-class girl like that, and what kind of guy is she into?" 

"Oh, yeah right, man." The younger man snorted and settled back on his seat, a skeptical expression on his face. "You think she likes _you_?" 

Jim shrugged. "Who knows. What do you think, Sandwalker? Think it could work, a princess and a guy like me?" 

"No." Sandwalker said definitely. Flushing red, he stood abruptly and stomped out of the cockpit. 

Jim scratched the back of his neck, leaned back in his chair, and chuckled wickedly. For a moment, he pondered the possibility of putting the moves on Megan-- just to see how jealous Sandwalker would get, of course. He snorted aloud at the thought of it. A Hyndian spitting cave cat would probably be more cooperative than the Australiaan princess. Besides, he wouldn't have the time, anyway. According to the calculations that Megan had entered into the navi-computer, it would take less than three hours for the Millenium Jaguar to arrive at New Melbourne. 

Hopefully he'd get paid well, he mused. And then perhaps he'd be able to pay off his debts to the Cascadine crime boss, Carolyn the Hutt. Carolyn was as ruthless as she was unforgiving. When he'd started doing business with her, Jim had tried to stay on her good side. It had only taken a short while for him to learn that she didn't have one. Though he'd worked for Carolyn for years, Jim still wouldn't get another chance. There was already a price on his head; if he failed to pay her off soon, there would be more bounty hunters on his tail than fleas on a Gundark. 

So he'd pay her off. And after that... then what? 

Jim frowned at the unexpected thought. What do you mean, _then_ _what_? he wondered at himself. There was always another smuggling job. If he wasn't doing jobs for Carolyn, someone else would hire him; they always had. His ship was the fastest, and he was the best. He might have to ship out to some of the less populated regions of the galaxy in order to avoid the Empire, but that was all part of the life. 

And piracy was the only life Jim Solo knew. A younger man, like Blair Sandwalker, could start a whole new life in just one day-- changing from a Cascadine farmboy into a fiery-eyed member of the Rebellion. But Jim was a smuggler, and always had been. There wasn't anything else. 

He sighed, re-checking Megan's calculations, quickly confirming the three hours it would take to get to the Rebel base. It was enough time to catch a quick cat-nap, Jim decided, rising and stretching to get some of the kinks out of his back. It had been a long day already, and a smuggler never knew when he'd get the chance to rest. 

With a sigh, Jim headed out into the ship's main area. The lights were dimmed, and he was startled to see Sandwalker, sitting on one of the protruding ledges that served as seats, one leg pulled up to his chest. His white clothes seemed almost to glow with ambient light. His eyes were dark in the dusky room, and he was gazing out at nothing. Jim's hands itched, suddenly. He wanted to undo Sandwalker's ponytail, run his hands through wild curls he'd only imagined loose, and never seen. 

He restrained himself. 

"Thought you'd be resting," he said. 

Blair's eyes flicked upward to Jim's face, but otherwise he didn't move. "There's just the co-pilot's room and your quarters," he said quietly. "Megan looked tired so I let her have the room." 

Jim grunted and moved to walk past him. 

Sandwalker stood, then. "So I guess after we get to the Rebel base..." 

Jim looked back. "I'll be taking off." 

Sandwalker nodded, then swallowed convulsively. "Do you think it was my fault?" 

"What?" 

"I didn't know what would happen, I just went ahead and--" the younger man muttered in a low tone, beginning to pace back and forth across the floor. "I just keep thinking if I hadn't convinced you to go off, rescue Megan-- Simon might still be--" 

"Listen, Sandwalker," Jim said, shocked, "you can't know that." 

"It's-- I only just met him, and now he's _gone_ ," Blair said, his voice strained. 

Jim shifted on his feet, not sure quite how to handle the situation. Honestly, he'd been more comfortable back on the Death Star trading potshots with stormtroopers. He wanted to walk out of the room, wanted to kiss Sandwalker. But that wasn't what the kid needed. Instead, Jim moved closer, putting a hand on Sandwalker's shoulder. 

"There wasn't anything you could have done." he offered. 

"Funny." The younger man laughed, a dark and bitter sound, spinning away from his hand. "That's what Simon said." 

Jim stared at him. 

"My aunt, Naomi." Blair explained in a low tone. "She bought the droids from some Jawas, and these storm-troopers came looking for them--" He choked on the rest. "I wasn't there." 

"If you had been, they'd have killed you, too," Jim said impatiently. "C'mon, Chief, would you rather be dead? What happened to being a Jedi, like the old man wanted?" 

"You don't even believe in the Force!" Sandwalker accused. 

"But you do, don't you?" Jim said sharply, and Sandwalker looked down, at the deckplates, his shoulders slumping. 

"I don't know." 

"You do." Jim said definitely. "You believe in destiny and all that-- and so did Simon. If he said there wasn't anything you could've done-- you believe him, don't you?" 

"Yeah." Blair admitted softly. 

"And if I say it," Jim said, and stopped as the farmboy looked up at him, eyes smoldering, mouth set defiantly, "if I say it-- do you believe me?" 

"I believe you," he said, and came close-- too close for comfort. Jim stepped back reflexively. Or he tried to, anyway. One foot actually skidded backwards at least six inches before Sandwalker slid into his arms, warm and solid and yielding in all the right places. Jim stopped moving, then, losing all motor control when the other man's mouth found his. 

Oh, thought Jim blankly. The idea of him and Megan had bothered Sandwalker-- but maybe Blair hadn't been jealous of _Jim_. 

This kiss was different from the one on the Death Star-- sweeter, needier, more sincere. Blair angled his head back and let Jim kiss him, moaning slightly and sliding strong hands up to clutch Jim's shoulders tightly. The farmboy's pliancy in his arms fueled Jim's desire, and he kissed Blair deeply, passionately for almost a minute before pulling away-- but not too far, since Blair's hands were still locked around his shoulders. 

Fine, Jim thought. Forget the princess. Forget Carolyn. Forget everything. He wanted Sandwalker, and he would have him. He cupped Blair's jaw in his hand, and met his eyes. "We get to New Melbourne and I get paid," he said, between deep breaths, "and then I'm gone, you got that Sandwalker?" 

"My aunt always said it would be time, someday." Blair lowered his eyes, but his grip tightened on Jim's arms. "Time to get off Cascadine. Time to do what I wanted with my life." 

Slowly, he lifted his head, pressing a sweet kiss to Jim's lips. He tasted like filtered water, pure with a chemical tang. "Three hours can be all the time in the world... Now, Jim. Now." 

"Yes," Jim answered, taking his hand, pulling him through the ship's corridor to his quarters, closing the soundproofed door behind them. This, he could do. For Sandwalker as much as for himself. He turned the illumination down, but not too much; he wanted to see the other man's face. Jim's bunk was barely wide enough for two, and so he took Blair's shoulders and pushed him gently down, kneeling above him to kiss his throat, to pull the V-neck of his white tunic open. Blair's hands were nimble on the fastenings of his shirt, his belt, and soon they were pressed against each other, hands investigating and searching, mouths meeting and exploring. 

"Have you ever..." Jim said huskily, running his hands down Sandwalker's back, then exploring lower. Blair shuddered against him deliciously. 

"I... No." Blair said, not sounding at all daunted by his lack of experience. "Biggs Darklighter and I, we did pretty much everything else, but..." 

"Okay then," said Jim, capturing his mouth again. He was beginning to get used to the purified-water aftertaste. He was beginning to drown in it. "All right." 

He would not be Sandwalker's first. Didn't want the kid to get too attached, he thought, with a bare remnant of his usual cynicism. But three hours was enough for a good try at everything else. 

Sandwalker was right. Three hours could be all the time in the world. 


End file.
